Central Florida JwJ joined the Central Florida AFL-CIO as part of a nationwide effort to demand good jobs and a stop to bank bailouts. On Friday March 26th, a group of 30 people started leafletting in front of a Wachovia Bank located on Wall Street in Downtown Orlando. As people leaflettted, a representative was there on behalf of big bankers to thank customers for their hard earned tax dollars in bankers’ pockets. At the end, a delegation walked into the local branch to deliver the Crook of the Month Award.
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The AFL-CIO and Jobs with Justice went another round against big banks this week. Jobs with Justice mobilized this week with the AFL-CIO’s “Make Wall Street Pay” week of action. Building on our week of action to save jobs earlier this month, JwJ Coalitions participated in actions in at least 12 cities this week. Some 200 actions are reported nationwide, and the profile of these actions is rising as well, as this week’s New York Times article illustrates. In Washington, DC the Billionaires for Bailouts asked lunchtime passersby to spare a few million dollars for their bonuses. Actions are escalating in several cities as anger mounts against CEO pay and consumer gouging. Over 1,000 people rallied at a Bank of America branch in Philadelphia, with 50 entering the bank and disrupting business. In Orlando, nearly 100 blocked the Bank of America branch, and 12 withdrew their money from the bank. This is a critical time for action against Wall Street. After their reckless speculation nearly collapsed our economy they received tens of billions of dollars in taxpayer support. A year and a half later, they are using that money to pay near record CEO Continue reading Pressure Mounting Against Wall Street Tonight we are on the verge of one of the biggest victories in the recent student movement: the passage of the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act (SAFRA).
This march and victory is a great opening for the National Student Labor Week of Action. This week happening from March 28th and April 4th brings together students and workers in actions across the country demanding a prioritization in education and worker’s rights. Check out the grid of actions to find an action near you! Sign
Continue reading Major Victory to Kick-Off the National Student Labor Week of Action Students at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL held an all day rally on campus fighting for workers rights and student representation. They started at 8:00 AM and did not finish with everything until Midnight. The goal of the event was to raise student awareness about their own power and raise the awareness about low-wage workers on Eckerd’s campus (housekeeping, groundswork, maintenance, etc.). Throughout the day, students made signs, spoke with workers, other students, and the administration about their call for a living wage. Collaboration between other clubs provided creative and interesting ways for students to actively participate in the struggle for a living wage. Everything from planting seeds with the student run community garden to making and bagging sandwiches for the homeless of St. Petersburg happened throughout the day. The day ended with a vigil for women’s rights around the world and in the Eckerd Community, as most low-wage workers at Eckerd College are women. The rally was organized by the Coalition for Community Justice, a student run organization dedicated to creating a socially responsible campus environment. They have been working for over 6 years for a living wage with little success. On March 4, they changed their reputation Continue reading Eckerd College SLAP Rally Helps Workers Win Over 200 labor and community supporters turned out for a rally in at the Shaw’s Supermarket in Dorchester to support striking warehouse workers at the company’s Methuen Distribution Center.
Over 300 members of UFCW Local 791 voted overwhelmingly to reject the company’s final contract offer and have now been on strike since March 7th. The company’s substandard wage proposals combined with its demand for increased employee health care contributions would result in a net loss of income for workers during the term of the proposed contract. The company’s final offer would also allow for the use of outside agencies to perform work at the facility, costing union jobs. In addition to Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, the rally was sponsored by UFCW Local 791, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and the Greater Boston Labor Council. Don’t shop at Shaw’s until it respects its workers and reaches an agreement that preserves good jobs with decent wages and benefits! You can keep up with what’s happening by joining the Facebook group “We support the Shaws Methuen Distribution Center“ Some of you might remember the Westin in Providence, RI — it was the site of JwJ’s 2008 national conference.
Please sign the petition pledging to stand in solidarity with the Westin Providence Hotel workers. Join us as we call on the Westin Providence Hotel to respect their workers and to respect the work that made the hotel a success. If you do business at the Westin, let us know how much of your business the Westin is losing. How much do you spend on renting halls or meeting rooms or dining at the Westin? Email rijobswithjustice@gmail.com You can also find out about upcoming pickets in solidarity with the Westin Providence Hotel workers by following Rhode Island Jobs with Justice
Continue reading Join the Boycott of the Westin in Providence, RI
This June, 20,000+ grassroots activists from hundreds of community-based social justice and social action organizations will gather in Detroit to come up with the peoples’ solutions to the economic and ecological crisis. The 2010 U.S. Social Forum (USSF) will gather social & economic justice organizers, environmentalists, peace & justice activists, community-based organizations, Indigenous nations, unions, and students to address the key issues of our time. The U.S. Social Forum grew out of a worldwide movement - the World Social Forum – that was in part inspired by the 1999 demonstrations against the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Seattle. In 2007, more than 10,000 activists (including 350+ JwJ activists) gathered in Atlanta for the first U.S. Social Forum.
Continue reading Join us at the U.S. Social Forum this June
From March 28 to April 4, students and workers across the country are uniting on campuses and communities across the country to fight for ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION & GOOD, SUSTAINABLE JOBS. Visit www.studentlabor.org to learn more. You can sign up, find an action near you, or download an organizing kit. Want to participate, but not sure what to plan? Justice at American Red Cross Day of Action – March 31st, 2010 Donor safety at risk  While giving blood addresses a critical medical need, Red Cross has a horrendous track record of protecting the safety of the U.S. blood supply. Since 2003, Red Cross has been fined $21 million for repeated safety failures. Decisions on additional fines are currently under consideration at the FDA.Working
Continue reading Student Labor Week of Action! March 28-April 4
I got the opportunity to march along with students, staff, and faculty at U-Mass Amherst. Being there reminded me about the power of organizing and strategic escalation. Students at this school provided a deadline for their administrators to accept their demands around fees, budget cuts, treating staff & faculty fairly, and improving the school’s climate. We will be watching their administrations’ response and actions to come. Check out video from the great actions at the University of Central Florida and the University of California system. You can also go to Continue reading Students and Workers Organizing for Justice Jobs with Justice coalitions and our partners are continuing to build grassroots pressure for bold federal action in this economic crisis. We need to immediately save and create millions of good jobs as a first step towards Full and Fair Employment and a New Economy that Works for Everyone. Last week you helped Jobs with Justice, in coordination with the Jobs for America Now Coalition, hold actions in cities nationwide and make phone calls that pushed Congress to extend emergency federal Unemployment and COBRA benefits — but only for one month. Obviously, officials in Washington still don’t get it. They need a wake-up call that unemployment is at emergency levels.This campaign is just beginning. And you can help build the momentum! 1) Take the pledge to continue the fight for jobs with justice. Ask your friends and co-workers to take the Pledge. 2) Get involved in some of the actions coming up: Continue reading Growing Demand for Jobs. Get Involved! |
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